A New Dawn
by SixNewAdventures
Summary: Set a few generations after Firestar's death, ThunderClan leader Sandstar finds out about the youngest Clan member. He is supposed to hold a great destiny between his paws, but is he ready to take on the expectations of the Clan? Or worse, can he survive the danger of the ShadowClan leader, with a dog as a friend? Rated T for blood.
1. Prologue

_Prologue_

The night light of the sky poured down on the small ThunderClan camp. It was midnight, and most were asleep. But, a few weren't.

A shady figure made its way over to the den under the High Ledge. Inside, a sandy furred she-cat was lying on her bed of moss. She raised her head as the figure approached and stopped outside the lichens covering the entrance to the den.

"Stargazer," she said, "please come in."

The cat walked in. He was a dark tortoiseshell tom with stern green eyes which seemed to look beyond the time. He rested his green gaze on the sandy cat.

"You sent for me Sandstar?" he asked, dipping his head respectfully.

"Yes," Sandstar got up and walked over to him, "I am very worried about our present condition, Stargazer."

"What do you mean?"

"It may look alright from the outside, but it's not. Darkstar keeps threatening war and my dreams are becoming more vivid. It's like StarClan is trying to tell me something, but I don't understand it."

Stargazer looked at Sandstar pacing the length of the den in worry. All the time she told him of her worries, he kept silent. Now, he spoke.

"You are young, Sandstar," he said, "But are also wise. That's the reason you were made deputy after all."

Sandstar looked to the sky, her eyes filling with memories of her leader who had died recently, leaving her the leader of ThunderClan.

"He should have never chosen me," she said out loud.

"What do you mean?" Stargazer again asked.

"Thornstar. He should have never chosen me as deputy," she said, "There are still so many brave and courageous warriors in this camp. I'm nothing compared to them."

Stargazer moved over to the worried cat and comfortingly licked her head.

"The first thing you have to learn is to calm down," he softly told her," StarClan will always be by your side. Don't worry."

Sandstar sighed and looked at him with gratitude. She dipped her head in thanks to the old and wise medicine cat.

"Anyway, a sign has appeared even though you never knew about it," he said.

At this, Sandstar looked at him with her intense yellow gaze.

"What is this sign?" she asked slowly.

"It's about Darkstar. There is something evil in his heart, something worse than Tigerstar or Hawkfrost or a pack of rabid dogs," Stargazer said.

"Is there a way to stop this?" Sandstar asked.

"Yes, the newest kit to be born into this Clan will have the power and bravery of both legendary ThunderClan leaders, Bluestar and Firestar."

Sandstar looked over to the medicine cat.

"Thank you Stargazer," she said, "I heard Dawnfeather is pregnant and will give birth soon. I will visit the nursery tomorrow."

"Do that, it will be good for you," Stargazer dipped his head and padded out of the den. Once outside, he made his way to the medicine cat den. Once he reached, he stopped and thought.

"Should I have told her? No, I can't tell her yet. I don't understand it myself, how can a dog and a cat work together?"


	2. Chapter 1

Chapter 1

"They're beautiful, Dawnfeather!"

Sandstar could hear the squeals of the nursery queens from her den. She smiled to herself and walked out, greeting her deputy Thunderfoot cheerfully.

"Have you heard that Dawnfeather's kits are born?" the russet-furred deputy asked Sandstar.

"Yes, I have heard. I'm going to check on the nursery right now," Sandstar said.

"Should I send Mousepelt to catch you some breakfast?" Thunderfoot called after Sandstar.

"No, thank you, Thunderfoot," Sandstar called over her shoulder. "I'll catch some for myself later!"

Thunderfoot dipped his head to Sandstar and went over to a few other warriors. Sandstar tore her gaze away from them and went into the nursery. There, she saw the beautiful calico queen, Dawnfeather. The other queens were all clustered around her but made way as Sandstar came in. She saw two healthy kits suckling against Dawnfeather.

"How are they?" Sandstar asked.

"Very beautiful and growing faster than ever," Dawnfeather grinned. "The she-cat is very restless, yet it's the tom that has the feel of adventure."

Sandstar grinned at the queen and bent down. The she-cat was a dark tortoiseshell grey like Stargazer, yet not him, and the tom had sun-colored ginger fur.

"Are they the newest kits born?" Sandstar asked the queens.

"Yes, they were born right after mine," a light grey queen said.

"How are your kits?" Sandstar asked her.

"One died, I'm afraid," she said sadly, "but the other one is really healthy."

Sandstar spotted the tiny white kit suckling from the grey queen. He looked healthy and very hungry too.

"You are lucky, Greyfur," Sandstar told her. "Your kit looks very healthy."

Sandstar turned her attention to Dawnfeather again. "Which of your kits was born last?"

"The ginger tom was last born, Sandstar."

Sandstar felt her heart give a little leap. She looked at the ginger tom and smiled. She had never met Bluestar or Firestar, but had heard many stories about them. This tiny little ginger tom seemed just like the type she was looking for; a mixture of two legendary Clan leaders.

"Good luck, all of you." She told the nursing queens.

She bid the queens goodbye and quickly went over to Stargazers den. Inside, she saw the old cat mixing herbs together to form healing mixtures. He put his head up as she approached.

"I see you're back from the nursery," he said," Enjoyed?"

Sandstar nodded. "I did, Stargazer. But, I also have to talk to you about one of the kits."

"Let me guess, you finally figured it out," Stargazer said.

"How did you know?" she asked.

"Because StarClan spoke to me just a few hours after I left your den; when the kits were born. They told me that we should be focusing on that ginger tom."

"I've made up my mind," Sandstar said, "Thunderfoot is very old and should be joining the elders soon. Then, Sunkit will be the new deputy of ThunderClan."


	3. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Sunkit pressed his body low to the ground. His ginger hide brushed against the grass. The sun's rays made the grass yellow, providing him with the camouflage he needed. His pelt barely visible against the foliage, he crept up on a small field mouse that was foraging for food.

He carefully placed one paw in front of the other, so as to not alert the mouse. He wanted to get as close as possible and make the kill. When the mouse was a couple of paw-steps away, he got ready to pounce. But, just as he pounced, he felt really shaky. He thought he heard someone yelling in his ear. He closed his eyes for a second and when he opened them again, he was in the nursery.

He looked around and saw his mother was up, so was his sister. He saw his friend Whitekit shaking him like anything and yelling "SUNKIT! WAKE UP! IT'S MORNING!" As Whitekit yelled once more in his ear, Sunkit flinched.

"Okay, okay, I'm up!" he yelled. "Why did you have to yell in my ear?"

"Otherwise you wouldn't have gotten up at all," Whitekit said simply. "It's a big day for the three of us."

"What?" Sunkit asked.

"Don't you remember?" Spottedkit, his sister told him, "Today's the day we become apprentices."

"Yeah, right, now I remember," Sunkit said with a yelp.

Just then Dawnfeather moved in and started licking Sunkit. "You need to be clean for your ceremony," she said.

By the time Sandstar's familiar call assembling all the cats rang out, all three kits were groomed and clean. Their mothers took them out of the nursery and to the High Ledge. Sandstar was standing on top of the ledge, watching all the cats assemble. On her right, Thunderfoot stood proudly with Stargazer at his side.

Thunderfoot nodded to the three kits and turned his gaze to Sandstar. Stargazer smiled reassuringly at them and rested his gaze on Sunkit for a few extra moments. The tiny kit felt scared under his ominous green gaze. Luckily, the old cat blinked and looked at Dawnfeather for a few seconds, congratulating her.

Sandstar beckoned the kits towards her. She looked at the assembled cats and raised her voice.

"Whitetip, you have shown bravery, wisdom and cleverness in battle. I trust you to pass on all those skills to Whitepaw." She told a grey cat with a white tail tip.

Whitekit ran over to Whitetip and raised his nose. Whitetip bent down and touched noses with his new apprentice. Sandstar then turned to Stargazer.

"Stargazer, you have requested an apprentice. I trust you to pass on all your wisdom to Spottedpaw."

Stargazer touched noses with the tiny spotted kit, who gave a squeal of excitement at being the medicine cat's apprentice.

"Stargazer, at the half-moon, you and Spottedpaw will go to the Moonpool to fully welcome her as a medicine cat apprentice." Sandstar then beckoned Sunkit over.

"As for this last kit, I have decided to take him as my own apprentice." She announced.

Sunkit almost jumped out of his fur. Him, a tiny kit, the Clan leader's apprentice? Was it true? Sandstar bent her head down. He touched noses with her and the rest of the Clan welcomed the apprentices by calling their names.

"WHITEPAW! SUNPAW! SPOTTEDPAW!"

The cats moved closer and congratulated them. Just before Sunpaw went over to his mother, he felt that Sandstar had laid her tail on his shoulder. He looked at her and saw pride in her eyes.

"We'll start training tomorrow." She told him before walking into the den.


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

"So, where're we going today?" Sunpaw bounded all around Sandstar in excitement. "Are we doing anything exciting?"

"Yes, Sunpaw, we're going around the territory," Sandstar was amused by the little kit's excitement and innocent nature.

"Why didn't Whitepaw come along?" Sunpaw asked, "I thought you did your first outing with your best friend."

"You see, Whitetip took Whitepaw along a different road. Don't worry, you'll see them again at sundown."

"I can't wait to tell him about my day!" Sunpaw said excitedly.

Sandstar gave an amused grin at the small kit. She looked ahead and walked on, letting Sunpaw go first so that she could give him a push. He pulled himself up a ledge and looked back at Sandstar.

"Go on ahead, but not too far," she told him.

Sunpaw nodded and bounded a few steps. Sandstar watched, pride in her eyes. It was only the first day of training, yet she already liked the tiny apprentice. As Sunpaw turned and ran in a particular direction, it took her a few seconds to realize he was headed for the place all cats avoided.

"SUNPAW!" she yelled, panicking.

A few seconds later, she saw the kit's tiny ginger face peer out from the bushes and she heaved a sigh of relief. She looked and saw confusion on his face.

"What was that about?" he asked.

"You were headed for Twolegplace." She calmly told him. She felt the fur on the back of her neck relax as she saw fear enter the kit's eyes.

"T…Twolegplace?" he stammered, shivering.

Sandstar gave a small chuckle. "You were almost." She answered. "Next time, be sure to check where you're going. It's one of the basic skills to learn to become a warrior."

Sunpaw hung his head. "I'm sorry Sandstar." He said. Sandstar gave his head a lick. "Don't be." She kindly told him. "Every cat makes mistakes at such a young age, but just be sure to learn from them."

Sunpaw nodded. It was a dream of his to become a warrior like his mother was. He also hoped to someday become deputy of ThunderClan, maybe someday leader, and to live up to the name of his Clan. He knew that it was a long way away, but he was ready to learn slowly. Sandstar knew this.

_It will make him a great warrior one day_, she thought.


	5. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

"So, how did your day go?" Whitepaw asked as Sunpaw walked over.

Sunpaw walked over to the fresh-kill pile and took a mouse for himself. He pulled it over to Whitepaw. He was already eating a sparrow.

"My day went great!" Sunpaw exclaimed. "We saw the Twoleg nests."

"You saw Twoleg nests?" Whitepaw asked, "That's so cool."

"How was yours?"

"It went great, as usual. We patrolled the borders, and met Longfur's patrol too."

"You met the deputy's patrol?"

"Yep."

"Lucky you."

As the two young kits talked, they didn't notice a particular dark grey spotted tortoiseshell kit walk over. She chuckled as the two didn't even notice her.

"Guess you two had a great day," she grinned at the two.

Sunpaw was stunned for a second. He then turned and smiled at her.

"Hey, Spottedpaw." He smiled. "You're free now?"

"Yep," his sister smiled at him and Whitepaw. She lay down beside Sunpaw with a sigh.

"Hard day?" Sunpaw guessed, pushing the remains of his mouse over to Spottedpaw.

She smiled in gratitude and then took a bite out of the mouse. "Yeah," she said, "Stargazer had me heal the cats myself, although he did offer guidance. Then we went out to look for herbs. Then, he showed me how to mix the herbs together."

She took another bite and swallowed. "So, how was your day?"

As the two recounted their days, Sandstar watched them from a distance. She smiled and then walked over to Stargazer and Whitetip.

"Has Longfur returned from patrol?" she asked.

"He will be back soon." Whitetip answered.

Sandstar nodded. "When he comes back, ask him to meet me."

"We will make sure the message reaches him." Stargazer dipped his head in respect.

"Whitetip, tomorrow we start battle training. Be sure to bring Whitepaw with you." She turned to the grey cat.

Whitetip dipped his head and turned to tell the apprentices. Stargazer also left to go back to his den. Sandstar, on the other hand, walked to the entrance. When Dawnfeather asked her where she was going, she replied that she was taking a small stroll.


	6. Chapter 5

_Chapter 5_

Sunpaw woke up when he felt a little too uncomfortable. He looked around and saw that his bedding was thinner than usual. He made a mental note to bring in more bedding for himself along with his regular duties for the elders.

He got up and stretched. As he went out of the apprentices' den, he saw Sandstar, Whitetip, Stargazer and Longfur talking. He looked to his right and saw Whitepaw. He walked over to his best friend.

"Do you know what they are talking about?" he asked. Whitepaw shook his head.

Just then, the two young cats noticed their mentors walking towards them. "Are we in trouble?" Whitepaw asked. Sunpaw shrugged. "I don't know." He answered.

Sandstar beckoned them with her tail. Sunpaw swallowed a gulp just in case he was in trouble and walked forward. Whitepaw followed him. Sunpaw looked at the face of his mentor and saw just pleasure.

"You two shouldn't worry so much." She chuckled. "You're not in trouble."

"Then, what is it?" Sunpaw asked.

"We've been monitoring your progress. You have both proven to be great warriors. So, you both have been chosen to go the Gathering tonight." Sandstar told the two.

Sunpaw felt happiness and excitement rise up in his throat. He looked to the side and saw Whitepaw with a huge grin on his face. He himself couldn't help smiling. He was chosen to go the Gathering! But what pleased him even more was that Sandstar had called him a warrior. He smiled widely and dipped his head.

Sandstar gave a small laugh. "Now, off you two go. And wipe that mouse-brained smile off your faces." She flicked her tail at them. Sunpaw couldn't help but laugh at his mentor's sense of humor.

As Sunpaw and Whitepaw turned to get bedding for the elders, they gave each other a wide grin. They ran into the forest and gathered moss for the elders' bedding. "Excited?" Sunpaw asked as he gathered up his share of the bedding. Whitepaw nodded his mouth full of moss. But by the look on his face, Sunpaw guessed that he was way more excited than he was letting on. With a small chuckle, he padded back to the camp.

On the way out of the camp again, Sunpaw stopped by Stargazer's den to check on his sister, even though the only response he got from her was an angry comment. "Seriously, Sunpaw! Next you'll start worrying about my paws. I'm not a kit anymore. I can look after myself." She snapped at him. Sunpaw retaliated at her angry yet humored tone. "I just wanted to see how you were settling in," he told her. "SUNPAW! I've been Stargazer's apprentice for five moons now. If you keep stopping by everyday with the same excuse to check on me, Stargazer will not take it that lightly. Now scram, before I show you I'm as good as you at wrestling."

Sunpaw laughed at her words. As he exited the medicine cat den, he thought about how much she had become like Stargazer. Then he heard her voice calling from inside.

"Sunpaw, while you're at it, can you get me some marigold?" she called. "Sure!" he mewed back. He made his way to the entrance and pushed his way past the thorns.

**Review? **


	7. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

"Can we go now?" Whitepaw impatiently asked. Whitetip silenced his apprentice with a look. "Let Sandstar give the signal. Then we will go."

"Quiet down!" Sunpaw hissed as Whitepaw restlessly shifted on his paws. At his best friend's low hiss, Whitepaw instantly calmed down and waited.

Sandstar looked down at the tree to the island. As RiverClan made their way across, Sandstar lifted her tail as a signal. As Longfur stood up and followed, so did the other cats.

A few moments later, they were by the Great Oak. Spottedpaw introduced her brother to the other medicine cat apprentices. Before he left, Sunpaw raised his eyebrow at Spottedpaw but received a deep glare. Chuckling, he walked over to where Whitepaw was talking to a few WindClan apprentices.

A few minutes later, the RiverClan leader Breezestar's yowl called them all together. Spottedpaw padded over and sat down beside Sunpaw. His fur had been prickling with anticipation of the Gathering, but having his sister beside him calmed him down, making him feel less like a nervous wreck.

"Blazestar would like to speak first." Breezestar motioned for the WindClan leader to come forward. He nodded at her and stepped forward.

"I am happy to report that nothing is wrong with WindClan." He said. "Prey is plentiful, we have new kits and there is no sign of any Twolegs around."

Sunpaw heaved a sigh of relief as nothing was wrong with WindClan. He wanted to know that all the other Clans would also be fine. Spottedpaw put her paw on his, reassuring him with her soft brown gaze. He smiled gratefully at her and then looked back at the Great Oak.

Blazestar had motioned for Breezestar to come forward. At the back, Sunpaw noticed Darkstar, the dark leader of ShadowClan. The ginger tom suddenly felt a shiver go through his body at the sight of Darkstar. He tore his gaze away from the black cat and focused on the report from Breezestar.

"RiverClan is also doing well." She said. "The river is full of fish and no Twolegs as well."

She motioned for Sandstar to come forward. She nodded at the RiverClan leader respectfully and stepped forward. "We are also happy to report that nothing is wrong in ThunderClan territory. Prey is plentiful, and Twolegs keep their distance."

She then turned to Darkstar, who was standing a little further away with a smug look on his face. "Darkstar, would you like to speak now?" she asked.

The dark tom walked over without even acknowledging Sandstar. Sunpaw felt a shudder go through his body at the sight of Darkstar's amber eyes. Spottedpaw pressed herself against her brother's body.

"He really does make you feel uncomfortable, doesn't he?" she calmly asked.

Sunpaw nodded and turned to listen to Darkstar. The sound of his voice made Sunpaw's blood run cold. It was nothing except pure evil, the kind of voice that struck fear in all other cats' hearts. Sunpaw saw Whitepaw wince, but Whitetip calmed down his apprentice.

"ShadowClan is doing well," he reported, "But we are in desperate need of space."

"Why?" Blazestar asked, sounding wary.

"We are more, and prey is less. We have more mouths to feed and we are limited to less territory." Darkstar said, fixing the WindClan leader with a cold hard look.

"So, what are the rest of the Clans supposed to do?" Breezestar asked.

"My demand is simple. We request each Clan to give us hunting privileges in their territories."

**R&R **


	8. Chapter 7

Chapter 7

"NEVER!" Sunpaw turned around to see that Whitepaw had sprung onto his paws and was spitting at the ShadowClan leader.

Many other cats were snarling and hissing at Darkstar too. But the black cat didn't seem to take notice. He merely turned to the leaders and simply asked, "Well?"

Sunpaw saw Breezestar step forward and address Darkstar in a cold voice. "Darkstar, you realize the demands you ask for would mean disobeying the Clan boundaries."

Darkstar quietly held her gaze. "Well, the world is changing, and it is ideal that we change along with it. And that would mean certain changes in our beliefs and our way of life."

Sandstar glared at him. "I don't see any need for us to turn our backs on the warrior code," she said, "There is plenty of prey for everybody and the Twolegs aren't bothering us. Why would we need to grant each other hunting rights in our territories when there is nothing to force us to do it?"

"Sooner or later, the Twolegs will ruin the Clans' homes again." Darkstar said.

"What does he mean by again?" Spottedpaw asked Stargazer.

"Seasons ago, the Clans lived in a completely different place, but Twolegs destroyed it and the Clans forced to band together as one for the journey to here." He explained.

Sunpaw looked up just in time to hear Blazestar's response. "You have no proof of that, Darkstar. How do we know you speak the truth?"

"Well, my medicine cat has had a dream about it," Darkstar said, turning to a dark brown cat sitting a few fox-lengths away. "Didn't you, Hawkblaze?"

As Hawkblaze rose to his leader's command, Sunpaw also saw his eyes fill with fear. The ginger cat shifted a little way away to try and sneak out, but Sandstar's gaze told him to stay put. In fact, he was worrying so much about the fear in Hawkblaze's eyes; he missed the brown cat's answer. But, Sunpaw could hear growling, snarling and hissing from all the cats.

Sandstar then stood up. "If Twolegs are a threat to all Clans, then why haven't our medicine cats gotten the message? I am sure if it is this important then StarClan would pass on the message to _all_ the medicine cats, Darkstar."

Breezestar nodded and got up. "So, until then, we will not take your warning seriously unless it is given to us by our very own medicine cats. This Gathering is over now." She flicked her tail and gathered up the RiverClan cats.

Darkstar gave the three leaders a long and dirty look. He then flipped around and gathered up the ShadowClan cats. Before he left, he turned back and gave them a snarl. "Eventually you three will have to disobey the laws of StarClan."

"Keep moving Darkstar." Sandstar growled. "Your warning will have to wait until the next Gathering. If we get the same warning from our medicine cats, we will negotiate. If not, then forget it."

It surprised Sunpaw that Sandstar could stand up to Darkstar like that. "They say that Sandstar is the only cat in this forest to stand up to Darkstar. If she stands up to him, then even the others can." Spottedpaw told her brother.

Sunpaw opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Sandstar's yowl. "We will talk later." Spottedpaw told him. "Now we have to go." She left his side and went over to Stargazer.

Sunpaw himself ran over to the rest of his Clan. But, all the way back to the camp, he couldn't get the image of Hawkblaze's fear out of his mind. Had he been telling the truth? Or had he been lying? Why would he lie in front of the entire Gathering? Did Darkstar make him do it?

**RxR**


	9. Chapter 8

Chapter 8

Sunpaw woke up to feel Whitepaw nudging him with his nose. After giving the white cat a hiss, Sunpaw stretched and went outside the apprentice's den. There he saw Spottedpaw and Stargazer having a conversation. Sunpaw tried to eavesdrop, but the conversation was pretty much over.

After Stargazer moved over to the fresh-kill pile, Sunpaw ran over to Spottedpaw. "What was that about?" he asked. "Tonight's the half-moon." She explained. "We are going to the Moonpool like we do every half-moon."

"Okay, when will you be back?"

"We will be back tomorrow, by sunhigh."

Sunpaw tried to tell her to be careful, but the look on her face told him that she had had enough of his over-protectiveness. After giving him a small nuzzle, she ran over to Stargazer to eat the herbs that would give her strength and would quell her appetite for the journey. He wondered what StarClan would share with her through dreams, but he had also given up hope of finding out. Spottedpaw had told him that the messages from the warrior ancestors were to be kept secret unless they were important.

So, every half-moon Sunpaw found himself wishing there would be an important message, but each time there was none. But this time, he focused on getting information about Hawkblaze's claim that Twolegs were going to invade. He was going to tell this to her, but Stargazer called her leaving her to just press her muzzle against his before leaving the hollow.

Just as she left, Longfur walked up to him. "Sandstar's looking for you." The deputy told him. Sunpaw nodded at him respectfully and went over to the Sandstar who was standing on the Highledge. When she saw him, she nodded at him.

"Sunpaw, your hunting skills have become better with each passing day and you're really improving." Sandstar proudly looked at her apprentice. "So, I've set a small challenge for you. You will be assessed today. You will have to hunt near Greenleaf Twolegplace."

Sunpaw's mouth dropped open. "Two…Twolegplace?" he stammered. "What if the Twolegs see me? There's a reason that it's a forbidden place during greenleaf."

Sandstar just stared with an amused look on her face as Sunpaw ranted on and on about the dangers of Twolegplace. Finally, just as he began for the hundredth time about Twolegs and their dangerous toys, she simply said, "You're a good hunter and fighter, but the only problem with you is that you worry too much."

That pretty much shut the ginger cat up. He silently dipped his head. "Yes, Sandstar."

"Don't take it the wrong way Sunpaw." She told him. "I was told you never back down from a challenge, so think of this as one. Go to the Twolegplace and catch as many mice as you can _without_ being seen by the Twolegs."

Excitement prickled through Sunpaw's fur at the mention of a challenge. "Yes, Sandstar, I will do my best." He said, trying to keep control of his voice, but he couldn't help giving out the anticipation and excitement in his voice. He saw Sandstar's whiskers twitch with amusement.

"So, what are you standing around for?" he asked in a humor-filled tone. "Off you go, you little mouse-brain."

Sunpaw darted to the entrance, laughing so much Icestep, who was standing guard, gave him a confused look.

**RXR**


	10. Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Sunpaw made his way to the Twolegplace. He was mostly excited that his mentor had issued a challenge to him, but a part of him also told him that he shouldn't have agreed to it. He was almost there when he decided to listen to his sensible part and go back to the camp.

He turned around to leave, but a flash of brown caught his eye. He instinctively went into a crouch and stalked the mouse, stepping lightly so that it wouldn't hear him. When he very near, he pounced and killed it with a sharp bite to the neck. He buried it near a tree and went to look for more, completely forgetting that he had been heading back to the camp.

He came across a shrew nibbling at a few nuts. Just like the mouse, he stalked the shrew and when he was near; he snapped its neck and buried it beside the mouse. He explored closer to the stream and saw a vole. He had just begun stalking it when it darted away in fear.

Crossly, Sunpaw looked to see what scared his prey away. But what he saw scared him more than he had ever thought.

Loitering beside the stream was an exceptionally large dog. It had thick grey fur and was twice the size of a badger. Sunpaw had never seen a badger, but from the stories he heard, they were pretty big. This dog looked like he could have easily defeated one of them with a swipe of his paw. Sunpaw stepped back as he saw the steady rise and fall of the dog's chest as it slept.

Sunpaw had planned to slip quietly back into the foliage again, but a twig snapped and the dog's ears suddenly pricked. Sunpaw stiffened at once as the dog raised its head. One look at it and the tiniest kit would know that it didn't belong in the forest. The dog turned its head and fixed its eyes where Sunpaw was. As it rose, Sunpaw prepared to run but was amazed by its body mass.

Sunpaw only realized that he was in trouble when the dog was just a few fox-lengths away. He whipped around and began to run; hoping to outrun the dog, but it ran after him. He ran into the forest but the dog was hot on his heels. As Sunpaw ducked here and there, he wondered why the dog hadn't barked and alerted its Twolegs.

Without knowing, he ran into a clearing and with two massive strides the dog had caught up with him. It blocked his way and wherever he turned, it jumped and didn't let him go.

"Easy, kitty." The dog said, surprising Sunpaw.

"You…you...You talk?" he asked.

The massive grey dog laughed. "Of course I do. I haven't lost my voice or anything." The dog had a pleasant masculine voice. "The name's Storm. What's yours?"

"Sun….Sunpaw." Sunpaw stammered, wondering what was wrong with this dog. Storm seemed to notice Sunpaw's uneasiness.

"If you're wondering why I haven't eaten you yet, not all of us dogs like the taste of cats." Storm pouted. "You'd be all furry and hairy and full of forest scents."

"That was just rude." Sunpaw piped up.

"Sorry, lil' buddy, didn't mean to make you mad."

"I'm not your buddy, whatever that means."

"Oh, forgot that you cats don't talk like us. Well, buddy means 'friend', if you know what that means."

"I know what friend means, and I'm not yours."

"Why not? Something wrong with my fur?"

"It's not your fur. It's just that, cats and dogs can never be friends."

"Who said?"

Sunpaw found that he was speechless. Storm bent down to his ear. "Just think about it, okay?" the large dog whispered before bounding away as a Twoleg yowled far off.

**RXR**


	11. Chapter 10

Chapter 10

"Well done, Sunpaw." Sandstar said as Sunpaw padded in with two mice, a squirrel, a sparrow and a vole hanging from his jaws. Sunpaw gazed proudly at his mentor. "There is more back in the forest." He said. "I have to go and collect them."

"Don't bother." Sandstar smiled. "I've watched your progress and you've done quite well. I'll send Heatherbreeze to collect the rest of your catch. Put what you have on the fresh-kill pile."

Sunpaw dipped his head. Just as he turned to put his catch on the fresh-kill pile, Sandstar told him to wait. "Sunpaw, I also see that you found a loophole in my challenge." She told him.

"What do you mean?"

"I know that you met with that dog. I said not to let Twolegs see you, but I didn't mention anything about dogs."

Sunpaw felt the fur along his neck rise. Was Sandstar accusing him of being disloyal to ThunderClan?

"It won't happen again." He quickly said. "It was an unfortunate thing that the dog saw me. I'll make sure this won't happen again."

He could have gone on but he was cut off by Sandstar's laugh. "I wasn't accusing you of being disloyal to the Clan. Your friendship with the dog has nothing to do with your loyalty to the Clan."

"But I was going against the warrior code!" he protested.

"The warrior forbids us to meet with kittypets. It doesn't say anything about dogs." Sandstar cut him off. "But still, we don't know anything about that dog. I won't interfere with your friendship, but remember that he is still a dog, and dogs have a natural rivalry with cats."

"I know," he said, "I won't meet with him again."

"The choice is yours, young Sunpaw." The light ginger tabby fixed him with a soft gaze. "Whatever you decide, it is all in your hands."

Sunpaw looked for something to say, but found himself thinking on Sandstar's words. "Now go eat something." She told him. "You've had a long day and you must be starving."

Sunpaw nodded and walked over to the fresh-kill pile, distinctively aware of his mentor's gaze on him. A few minutes later, he felt her leave and heaved a sigh of relief. He walked to the pile of prey and took a mouse for himself, but not before dropping his catch on the pile. He dragged his mouse over to Whitepaw, who was sitting by the apprentice's den.

"So, how did it go?" he asked.

Sunpaw shrugged. "Well, I guess." He sat down and began to eat his mouse.

"Sunpaw, what's up?" Whitepaw asked. "You seem extremely quiet."

"Nothing is wrong." Sunpaw quickly said, taking a bite of his mouse so that he didn't have to say anything.

"I don't know what is going on with you, but I'm not going to pressure you." Whitepaw said. "I know you'll tell me when you are ready."

Sunpaw shrugged, one thing going through his mind; Storm. He had half a mind to go back to the Twolegplace the next day and talk to Storm again, but he also couldn't break the warrior code by meeting Storm, even though Sandstar said that it was fine.

Then he found a solution; he would meet Storm, just once to tell him that dogs and cats could never be friends.

**RXR**

**And I will be posting a new chapter every Friday, so look out on a regular scale XD and the story will have 21 chapters. **


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